Better Late than Never on "Tenet"

After many years of wanting to see "Tenet", the time finally arrived this past Saturday. I've been taking my son to his uncle's house to watch what we consider good movies, and "Tenet" was the pick last week. I remember seeing the trailer prior to the pandemic. It helped that it was Christopher Nolan directing too, he is one of the best doing it right now. But, the pandemic happened, I wasn't willing to go to a theater, even if it was rented out, and then it kind of slipped my mind all together. It wasn't until our previous movie night that it was brought up and that stoked my interest once again.

We were all finally able to get together on Saturday, and as we sat down, I didn't really know what to expect, but I was excited. It also helped that we were told by the only person in the room to have seen the movie to not try and make it make sense. He let us know it was a movie about "vibes". He explained that if we let it wash over us, he thought we would enjoy it more. That was a great piece of advice. As the movie started, with the knowledge to just watch and enjoy, I found myself doing as such.

I liked the movie quite a bit. For all intents and purposes, "Tenet" is a spy thriller with beautiful people wearing nice clothes and doing kickass fight scenes. That was the best way to approach the whole movie. Sure, there is a story involved, and it helps to pay full attention, but if you look at it as a modern Bond movie, another bit of advice from our host, you can have a good time. John David Washington plays the lead role, he is credited as "Protagonist". He is wonderful in this movie. He looks sharp. He seems to be fully locked in and enjoying himself. He has some of the best fight scenes in the movie and he is our narrator all along the way. This felt like a big deal to him and it shows on screen. Robert Pattinson is in and out of the movie, but his role is way more important than his screen time lets on. He is integral, he is also sharply dressed, he gets to play aloof, but you know he has a lot going on. I become even more of a fan of his with each cool and unique role he takes in movies. The dude can act. Kenneth Branagh is the villain, and he is about as villainous as you can be. He is mean and egotistical and yells a ton. But it's this well seasoned, well renowned actor doing it, so the role is done better than most. Elizabeth Debicki is the "damsel in distress" in this movie, but she also gets to do some very cool stuff, and she gets to take out the worst of them all in a very satisfying manner. And we also get to see Himesh Patel, Michael Caine and Martin Donovan show up on screen for a scene or two, and they make the most of their time.

The casting is great. The set pieces are beautiful to look at in this movie. The action sequences are incredible and Nolan continues to prove that he does action better than almost any other director out there. The clothes and people are also insanely good looking. This is a cool, fun and interesting movie. I will recommend the whole idea of this being a vibes movie and watching it like it's an updated Bond movie without James Bond. I recommend this movie and I think you will find it pretty damn cool if you do watch. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Companion"

I mentioned on Wednesday how I've been catching up on movies lately. Another movie I wanted to talk about this week is "Companion". Let’s discuss.

I remember seeing a preview for this movie months ago and it blew me away. The preview was great too because it didn't reveal too much. All I saw was Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher sitting at a table and having a conversation. That was it. They didn't have any type of big reveals and they didn't show any other scenes or people. For all I knew, it was about a couple in trouble. The conversation the two were having seemed fraught. With all this in mind I knew I wanted to see this movie. In fact, my wife and I tried to see it on Valentines Day, but it was already out of the theaters by that point, which is another topic for another day that I have issues with at the moment. But, it was cheap to rent on Amazon last Saturday, it was my turn to pick a movie and I jumped at renting "Companion".

Right off the bat, this review will have minor spoilers. Also, I loved this movie. I was all in from the first moment until the very end. This movie is worth watching and worth talking about. The story of "Companion", in a Cliff's notes version, is about a couple that goes away for a weekend to a cabin to spend time with some friends. The couple in question is Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher. They are young and seem very much in love. Thatcher's character seems to be obsessed with Quaid's character. She does literally everything for him. From telling him what to do to carrying their bags, she is all in and willing to do whatever. She also has odd quirks that we notice off the jump. She likes to thank and talk to computer objects. There's an early scene when they are driving, the car is a self-driving car by the way, and when they arrive, she waits to get out until both her and Quaid have thanked the car. She never eats or drinks any food. She is quick with an answer to every question. When told to "go to sleep", she instantly stops talking and rests. It all seems a little strange. We come to realize pretty early on, after an accident at the house, that Thatcher is in fact a robot. She is a "companion" doll that people in this world can buy, program and set to be their partner. When this was revealed, it made me buy in even more. And then we have the aforementioned "incident" that changes the whole course of the movie. We see that Quaid isn't this perfect boyfriend. He's actually kind of a prick. My hat is off to Quaid for this performance. I didn't think he could play this type of character, but he nailed it. After the "incident", Thatcher  really shines. This is her movie. She is the driving force. And she is amazing. I can't wait to see more of her leading roles in upcoming movies. The friends are pretty great too. Lukas Gage and Harvey Guillen play another couple at the cabin. Guillen shines, playing what I have to imagine is a heightened version of himself. He is a star. Gage, who's character also has a secret, really shows his worth when his twist occurs. He was great. Rupert Friend is barely in the movie, but he is memorable. And Megan Suri does a whole lot that is integral to the plot and she was pretty awesome here.

I'm starting to realize that when it comes to the "horror" genre, these are the types of movies I like. This was more thriller than horror, and there were comedic elements that I really enjoyed. Those cut the tension. But, what it all boils down to was Thatcher's performance and she did a remarkable job carrying this movie. I was incredibly impressed with her performance. And, the movie is barely over 90 minutes long, which is perfect.

Seek out "Companion", it is pretty damn good. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

The SeedSing 2025 MLB Preview

With today being the opening day of the 2025 MLB season, I know the Dodgers and Cubs did a 2 game series in Japan last week, I'm going to attempt to do a MLB preview and playoff predictions. Like I say every year, take this all with a very big grain of salt. I'm going to quickly go through the divisions, pick a winner of each and then do playoffs. I'll also do the big awards, MVP and Cy Young, from each league. I'll start with the AL.

Let's do the East first. The Yankees are coming off a World Series appearance and they return some key players. They did have some guys leave in free agency, some big guys, but they still have enough studs to make a run. The Orioles are fun and young and they mash the ball. I am curious to see if Jackson Holiday takes a leap. The Red Sox are in a purgatory of sorts. They have some good guys, some young guys and some dudes past their prime. They remind me of the Cardinals from last season. The Blue Jays have a very good lineup, but they need Vlad Guerreo Jr to re-sign. I don't want to see him in a Yankees or Dodgers uniform next season. And the Rays seem to always be a thorn in their opponents sides and they will be frisky. I'm going to go with the Orioles in this division. They can hit dingers, win games with pitching and the Yankees have too much to replace.

Next we have the Central division. The Tigers seem to be making some moves and trying to build on their late season success from last year. The Twins and Guardians both have some solid players and these guys can push their team to the top. The Royals seem to be building something for the near future, and they could surprise some this year. And then we have the White Sox. They're historically bad. They have no reason to win, nor will they win much at all. I'm going to go with the Tigers here. The moves they made shored up their lineup and they have some damn good pitchers.

Finally in the AL we have the West division. The Rangers and Astros are the teams to beat. The Rangers cooled off last season after winning the title the year before. But, it seems like they may have reloaded. The Astros are on the back end of this current run. They're old, but they may have enough in the tank for one more run. The Mariners are always preseason darlings, but that seems to never cash in for them. I hope things change for them and their fans. The Angels and Athletics have some dudes, but the Angels are constantly mediocre and the Athletics don't even have a home at the moment. Give me the Astros for one final run.

As for my AL playoff teams, the division winners I have are the Orioles, Tigers and Astros. As for the three wild card teams, give me the Yankees, Blue Jays and Guardians. As for the AL pennant winner, I'm going to run with the Orioles. I have a feeling about them this year.

To the NL. We will start in the East as well. This division is kind of stacked. The Mets spent big time money this offseason. They seem to be going all in on winning a title. The Braves get Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuna Jr back. They made the playoffs without them last season, and with them both back, the NL better watch out. The Phillies still have Bryce Harper and Trae Turner and are a legit threat to win the division. The Marlins and Nationals bring up the rear, but they both will be better than expected this year. This division is the hardest for me to pick, but I'm going with the Mets. You don't spend that kind of money to not make a real postseason run.

The Central tells a different story. My hometown team, the Cardinals, are going to be bad this year. They haven't done much in free agency or trades in a few years and that is catching up to them. They started to slip last year, and this year will be worse. The Cubs have some dudes and could make noise. They could make a run at the division. The Pirates have a great pitching prospect, but not much else. They have a bunch of young guys, so who knows what they will do. The Reds have Elly de la Cruz, and he will be fun to watch. They also have a solid pitcher in Hunter Greene. And the Brewers are defending division champs. They have the guys to keep that rolling. This division really comes down to two teams for me, the Cubs and Brewers, and I'm going to stick with the Brewers.

Finally we have the West. No other team truly matters in this division besides the Dodgers. The Dodgers have the talent, the money and the willingness to spend to win. They could win 110 plus games this season. The Padres could push, but they won't catch the Dodgers. The Diamondbacks had a surprise World Series run two years ago, but crashed back to Earth last year. The Giants are in a lull for them, having no stars, just solid players. And the Rockies have piss poor management that refuses to spend and refuses to let this team be any good at all lately. I think it's pretty obvious that I'm taking the Dodgers here, and they are going to run away with the division.

So, my division winners, the Mets, Brewers and Dodgers are all in the playoffs. My three wild card teams are the Braves, Phillies and Cubs. As for the NL pennant winner, I mean come on, it's the Dodgers. They may go undefeated in the playoffs.

That gives me a Dodgers-Orioles World Series. The Dodgers will repeat, and they will most likely sweep. They will put up incredible numbers all season long. As award winners, give me Vlad Guerreo Jr as the MVP in the AL and Mookie Betts as my NL MVP. My Cy Young winners will be Tarik Subal repeating in the AL and Spencer Strider in the NL.

Okay, there you have it, my best guess at the 2025 MLB season. Play ball everyone. 

Another view

Yes, the Dodgers are world beaters. They got better after dominating the World Series. They will win over 100 games. The Dodgers will not repeat as champs. So, who is it going to be. Lets give out division winners first.

AL East - Baltimore Orioles, best in a division where no one got much better.

AL Central - Kansas City Royals, the most up and comer of an up an comer division

AL West - Texas Rangers, they’re back baby.

AL Wild Cards - Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins

NL East - Philadelphia Phillies, one more run until the Mets and Braves take over

NL Central - Cincinnati Reds, Francona will make De La Cruz an MVP candidate

NL West - LA Dodgers, obviously

NL Wild Cards - Atlanta Braves, NY Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks

The ALCS will have Baltimore Orioles beating the Texas Rangers in an epic seven games series. The NLCS will feature the Philadelphia Phillies winning another thrilling seven game series over the LA Dodgers. After two awesome series, the Philadelphia Phillies will win the World Series over the Baltimore Orioles in a sweep. Also, the Chicago White Sox and Florida Marlins will each lose over 115 games.

Play Ball

RD

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Saturday Night"

During last week and so far this week I have been catching up on some movies that I've been putting off. One such movie is "Saturday Night".

A good amount of people whose opinion I appreciate, told me to watch this movie. I used to watch "SNL" a ton back in the late 90's and early 2000's. I watched all the way through The Lonely Island's run, but then I kind of fell off. During that time I went back and watched older episodes. I decided I wanted to watch episodes from the 70's and 80's. I kind of fell in love with the earliest episodes during that time. I got way more into the minutiae of comedy at that time, so learning about some of the earliest writers rooms, reading and educating myself on people like Micahel O'Donoghue and Rosie Schuster was a total blast for me. So, when the people that recommended the movie told me it was about the first live airing of "SNL", that was all I needed to know to watch. Other stuff came up, but I was finally able to watch it all in one sitting yesterday. And I totally loved it.

I was all in on this movie from the first frame. I really enjoy movies that seem frenetic, especially when they take us back to a very important time in history. And let us not get it twisted, "SNL" changed the game when it comes to live sketch comedy. No other show in that genre would be here now if it weren't for "SNL". There would be no "Key and Peele", no "Chapelle Show", no "MadTV" without "SNL". This movie focused on the 90 minutes leading up to the first airing of the show. We got to see all the behind the scenes stuff. I really liked seeing how rough rehearsal could be. I liked watching the castmates cutting loose with one another. Seeing Lorne Michaels constantly on the move made for an intriguing story. Seeing old classic actors walking around trying to figure out what the show was going to be, and then dismissing it, that stuff moves me. I'm sure it is all made more grandiose for movies, but I don't really care. If a movie is well made, and "Saturday Night" most definitely is, I can overlook that stuff.

The casting here was amazing. I was shocked at how authentic they made it feel. Gabriel LaBelle, who I have never heard of, played Michaels. He was magnetic. He totally embodied everything that I have to imagine Michaels was going through that night. But he always stuck to his vision. The casting of the first cast was great too. Dylan O'Brien shined as Dan Akyroyd. He became him. Lamorne Morris brought brevity and hilarity to Garrett Morris. Ella Hunt brough the wit and constant upbeat attitude of Gilda Radner. Emily Fairn was so incredible as Larraine Newman. Her performance made me appreciate Newman's genius even more. Kim Matula embodied Jane Curtin and brought the feminist badass out in her. Matt Wood was quietly wonderful as John Belushi. And Cory Michael Smith brought out all of the asshole in Chevy Chase. Nicolaus Braun did double duty, nailing it as both Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson. I do want to shout out two other performers as well. I mentioned my fandom for O'Donoghue and Schuster earlier. Well, Tommy Dewey was absolutely perfect as O'Donoghue and Rachel Sennott continues to build her resume higher and higher with each role. She's awesome as Schuster. And Cooper Hoffman is wonderful as a young Dick Ebersol.

It was clear from watching how important "SNL" is to Jason Reitman. He directed this movie beautifully. It showed on screen. I highly recommend this movie for fans of "SNL" and sketch comedy in general. To see the start of it all was pretty great. Go watch this movie. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Re-Predicts the Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament

Seeing that the men's NCAA basketball tournament now has its Sweet Sixteen, I want to revisit my preview and prediction from last Monday.

First things first, NIL is making this a blue blood type of tournament. I believe that every team left is from a power four conference. Yep, every team left is from the ACC, SEC, Big 12 or Big Ten. The SEC has the most, with seven teams, almost making up half the teams. The Big 10 has four teams, the Big 12 has four and the ACC has Duke. That's another thing, we also have perennial teams like Duke, Purdue, Kentucky, Houston and Arizona, among others. The lowest seeded team left is Arkansas, who is a 10, but they have John Calipari as their head coach and they recruited studs. They had a tougher regular season than most expected, but they're coming together at the right time. The next lowest seed is 6, BYU and Ole Miss. I mean, we don't even have Gonzaga anymore. It seems like the days of Fairleigh Dickinson, Grand Canyon, Akron and Florida Gulf Coast are toast. That bums me out a bit.

The fun of March Madness is the one or two "Cinderella" teams that make a push. I remember a few years back when Michigan faced Loyola Marymount for a final four berth. I was glad Michigan won that game to be clear. There was the Florida Atlantic run to the Final Four, coached then by now Michigan coach Dusty May. I watched Glen Mason make a deep run. Shaka Smart made his name as a coach taking VCU to the Final Four. With NIL and open transfer portal windows, the days of the low seed team making a run is seemingly goen. I made a big bet on Akron and Grand Canyon this tourney. Both were easily bounced in round one. My son and I were near certain that Liberty was going to beat Oregon. Oregon smashed them. My wife was the one who followed seeding and she is leading my son by two games and me by four in our brackets we filled out at home. For the time being, the blue bloods and major programs look like they will be leading the way.

As for my Final Four picks from last Monday, Iowa State is gone. Duke, Texas Tech and Houston are all still alive at least. My "Cinderella" picks, I already mentioned Akron. They got blown out. St. John's couldn't find the basket against Arkansas. UConn's bummer of a season ended during the first weekend and Liberty got smoked. I was hesitant to pick Purdue, and they cruised to the Sweet Sixteen. I mentioned the Arkansas-KU game, and while KU crapped the bed, Arkansas is riding high as previously mentioned. At least I was right about Clemson.

Where we sit now, I am going to do a re pick of the Final Four and championship game. Again. Duke is going to cruise to the Final Four from the East. The toughest matchup they may face is Bama, and they should beat them with ease. I'll also stick with my other two picks that are still alive, Texas Tech and Houston. Houston took on a hot Gonzaga team and won. Texas Tech has to face the red hot Arkansas Razorbacks next, and if they win that, I think they can beat either Florida or Maryland. Both those teams needed late game heroics to win their last game. So that leaves me with the South. I had Iowa State, but they are done. So that leaves us with Auburn, Michigan, Michigan State and Ole Miss. Man would I love Michigan to make a run to the Final Four, but I don't think it's going to happen. Auburn is loaded, deep and battle tested. As for MSU and Ole Miss, MSU knows how to play, play dirty and win ugly. They will beat Ole Miss. This leaves us with MSU and Auburn playing for the final spot. I'm going to go with MSU. I guess my disdain for them is not enough to pick against them this season.

My new Final Four is MSU, Duke, Texas Tech and Houston. As for the title game, give me MSU and Duke, and Duke coming away with an easy title victory. Ugh, that championship game for me would be as bad as the College Football National Title this year. Oh well, this is the current state of the game. The rich stay rich I suppose, as much as it bums me out. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

R.I.P George Foreman

Hello again. I'm back from vacation and I have a ton to talk about on this site. Unfortunately I'm going to start my week back with some bad news. While I was out of town I noticed that a good portion of my friends were posting pictures of George Foreman on their accounts with no writing underneath. I didn't know what was going on, but I feared the worst. The fears were then confirmed when I went and did the tiniest bit of digging. It turns out Foreman had passed away on Friday at the age of 76. I do not know what he died from, but he is gone and that is a bummer.

I first learned about Foreman when I was a pre-teen. I was obsessed with Muhammed Ali as a kid. I am still a fan even though he passed a few years back. But, while reading about Ali as a kid I would come across the name George Foreman a ton. I guess the two were adversaries who loathed one another but in the end, they became friends. That always made me happy that they were able to bury the hatchet late in life. Before his rivalry with Ali, Foreman and Joe Frazier used to go at it in the ring. The fights between the two of them was where the famous, "Down Goes Frazier!" call comes from. That clip is always played on boxing broadcasts and will be until the end of time. He had a similar situation against Ken Norton. He would end up winning all his fights against him when he was younger and run his record to an astonishing 40-0. Then the Ali fights came up. We got some epic clashes between the two of these heavyweights. The Rumble in the Jungle was their first big time bout. This was the first time Foreman was beaten as a pro, but he didn't go down without a literal fight. The two kept at each other, with Ali landing some crucial head blows to win. Foreman then took some time off before returning to the ring to face Joe Frazier for a second time. Foreman eventually knocked him out in the fifth round.

Foreman stepped away from boxing for the first time in the late seventies. During this time he became a born again Christian and a preacher. He returned to the boxing ring in 1987 saying he wanted to fight Mike Tyson. He fought a few other opponents, ostensibly to get back into fighting shape. He looked a little rough, but he was still winning the other bouts. He also became a more relaxed, more zen fighter during his first comeback. He also created the Foreman Grill during this comeback as well. We all know how much of a bgi time thing this grill became. That grill was humongous. It seemed like everyone had one at some time in their lives. Foreman eventually found his way to a pay per view match with Evander Holyfield. Holyfield was a heavy, heavy favorite. Foreman was 42 at the time, and weighed 257 lbs. Holyfield was the current champ, and he totally looked the part. Holyfield did win, but it was much more of a battle than anyone anticipated. Foreman lasted all 12 rounds and made Holyfield really work for the win. This led to more fights for Foreman, who wound up becoming heavyweight champ again in his 40's.

Foreman stepped away again from boxing in 1998. He claimed to be consistently training during this time, with some fights being promoted, but nothing came to fruition. He then went on to become a preacher again and was very, very Christian. I kind of stopped following him at this point because I'm not a very religious person. But, when I saw the news of his passing a bunch of memories of him flooded back for me. I thought back to his match with Ali. I thought about his fights with Frazier. I remember seeing the Holyfield bout and it made me appreciate his boxing career. He was a generational talent in the boxing ring. I hope he's knocking people out wherever he may be now. Rest in Peace George Foreman. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Want to Watch a Kid Eat Hot Jelly Beans?

This video originally premiered on June 15th, 2020

#ILookLikeAnEngineer Needs to Have Meaning

Do the people who drive the trains look like an engineer?

This article was originally posted on August 14th 2015

I am conflicted about this one.  This #ilooklikeanengineer movement.  I’m a woman.  I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering, and a couple decades of “hard” technical experience.  I self-identify as an engineer, even though a big chunk of my current work is paper-push..., I mean management.  I’m also really glad that people like Mary Barra (BSEE) and Ursula Burns (MSME) have thrown in with the movement, not just because they’re major CEO’s, but because they are actually ENGINEERS.  And actual engineers seem to be only half of the #ilooklikeanengineer movement.

In principle, this hashtag is great.  Engineers aren’t just dorky white or Asian boys who are good at math.  I bet in a lot of places, boys with average aptitude in math and science are tracked for engineering, and yet their schools/parents don’t do the same for girls with equivalent or even better aptitude.  That happens.  I graduated from Purdue University’s College of Engineering in the 90’s.  Purdue has a history of actively recruiting and supporting women engineers, and prides itself on having started the first Women in Engineering program.  For all their efforts, female enrollment there is currently about 20% right now, per their own website.  (I can’t speak to black and Latino enrollment, but I’m guessing they’re similarly underrepresented.)  So I’m all for anything that encourages a more expansive view of what an engineer can look like.

But the problem with this hashtag is while it expands the view of what an engineer looks like, it’s also trying to expand the definition of what an engineer actually IS.   Engineering is a specific field of study.  And one of my pet peeves is the conflation of “engineer” with “person who works with any kind of technology.”  Words have meaning.  And, despite recent abuse of the language, web developers, coders, and network architects are not engineers.  The noun “engineer” implies engagement with the PHYSICAL sciences; the application of chemistry and/or physics to solve a physical problem.  It implies grappling with scientific unknowns, and imperfectly modeling the physical world.  Well, either that, or a person who drives a train.  (My alma mater’s website backs me up on this:  computer science is not listed under the College of Engineering.)

I’m not suggesting that other STEM professionals are lesser or greater.  My mom had a long career in IT working on mainframe software.  My dad is PhD chemist.  But they don’t call themselves engineers.  And frankly, even though he’s certainly earned the right to be called Dr. S as an honorific, it would be pretty misleading for me to say “my dad’s a doctor” without some kind of qualifier.  Look, dentists and CPA’s are both highly trained and respected professionals.  But my dentist doesn’t call herself an accountant, because she’s NOT one.  Words have meaning.  And if your education and work don’t involve the application of physical engineering principles, you aren’t an engineer.   The team that designed the Wii U hardware?  Engineers.  The team that designed Mario Kart 8?  Not.  (I intend no disrespect, quite the opposite.  Mario Kart 8 is awesome.)

All these web designers, software developers, etc. who are jumping on the #ilooklikeanengineer hashtag (including the woman who started it) are undermining their own point.  Because all the sexist guys who are real engineers can point to these women and say, “Well, I don’t have to listen, because what you do is programming/web design/etc.  You don’t even know what an engineer is.”  

The set of engineers is a subset of the set of STEM professionals.  (It’s the E part!)  But there are also the S, T, and M parts.  They are disciplines and fields of study in their own right, and deserve recognition and respect.  And once they get it, maybe people can stop gussying up their job titles by adding “engineer” as some kind of professionalizing suffix.  All girls should be encouraged to take calculus and physics in high school, and know that they can have any career they want, in either software development, cell biology, applied math, nuclear engineering or whatever.  So I really respect the intent behind the hashtag.  But please, stop diluting my profession.  Pick a different word.  And I’ll tweet the hell out of #ILookLikeaSTEMprofessional!

I welcome any and all rebuttals. 

It’s a bit old, but for an excellent piece on why STEM training is great for women in particular: Check this out.

Tina S.

Tina does not look dorky or like a boy. That does not stop her from engineering (or paper pushing) like a boss. Join the debate by writing for SeedSing.

Ranking Every Episode of "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" The Top Ten

This article was first posted on November 27th, 2020

Recently I went back to watch all 95 episodes of the original “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” cartoon series from the 1980’s. In the spirit of list articles, I went out to the internet to find a ranking from worst to best of the show. I found nothing. There were plenty of top ten lists, but no in depth list of all 95 episodes. I decided to do something about it.

Want to know how I came up with the rankings? Read my introduction.

Need to catch up? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

And now, enjoy the exciting conclusion of my rankings of “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero”.

#10: “Once Upon a Joe”

Original Air Date: October 1st, 1986

“I don’t know any kids’ stories.”

Shipwreck

In battle with Cobra to get the McGuffin Device, the Joes inadvertently destroy an orphanage. No orphans were destroyed, just their house.

While rebuilding the orphanage, Shipwreck gets roped into telling a few of the foundlings a story. His story is a fairytale featuring a few of the Joes, Shipshape (Shipwreck), Leatherhead (Leatherneck), Frogface (Wetsuit), and DaDuke (Duke). The story is imagined with a different looking animation style than the regular GI Joe shows. A few Cobra’s along with Scarlett and Cover Girl also make an appearance in Shipwreck’s story.

While Cobra, in the real world, is trying to get the McGuffin Device back, Leatherneck has to take over the story. He is terrible at telling stories. Shipwreck, out to check on something for Beachhead, is knocked out by Zartan, and the Cobra master of disguise makes himself up as the Joe Sailor. The kids find Zartan/Shipwreck and ask him to continue the story. Zartan/Shipwreck’s story is all about the bad guys winning. The kids are suspicious and venture out to find the real Shipwreck.

The kids succeed and real Shipwreck, in his underwear, uses the McGuffin Device. The characters from Shipwreck’s story come into reality and defeat the Cobras. We learn that the McGuffin Device changes reality based on the mind of the user.

The orphanage gets rebuilt, and Shipwreck stays to give the story a happy ending.

 The Good:

An awesome Shipwreck episode. The episode is also kind of emotionally touching. The McGuffin Device, genius writing.

The Bad:

Shipwreck in his underwear around kids. Not a comfortable situation.

#9: “The Traitor”

Original Air Date: November 25th and 26th, 1985

“I may be hard up, but I’m no traitor.”

Dusty

This is an incredible two-part story about family, and heroism, centered on one of my favorite G.I. Joes ever.

The GI Joe team has a new armor treatment impervious to Cobra lasers. Cobra Commander wants this armor treatment, and he sends out the Crimson twins to find a way to get the formula.

At the same time, we learn Dusty’s mom is sick and her bills are piling up. Coincidently, Extensive Enterprises owns the debt of Dusty’s mom. They offer Dusty a trade; the armor treatment and they will forgive the debt. Dusty is against it at first, in fact he causes a redneck bar brawl when the Crimson Twins first offer him the deal, but he later agrees to give Cobra info on the Joe’s operations in exchange for money to pay down the debt.

After a few times of Cobra stopping the Joes, Duke tells Flint that Dusty is a traitor and the Joes are going to trap him. The trap plan goes south when Duke is knocked out and hospitalized and in a coma. Dusty is court-martialed, and on the way to prison when Cobra saves the fallen Joe.

To be continued.

Part two starts with Hector Ramirez of “Twenty Questions” recapping episode one. It is truly an incredible way to catch up the viewers

When the action picks up, Dusty is in a Cobra uniform working with the snakes. The former Joe fights and saves a Cobra soldier in a flooding arena of sport with piranhas. Dusty leads Cobra on a few missions to get chemicals for a mind control gas. Dusty also hands over the armor treatment to Cobra Commander.

During a mission where Dusty leads Cobra, Shipwreck, Lady Jaye, and Flint are captured, and Cobra Commander is going to have Dusty gas the prisoners with the mind control chemical. In a bit of reversal. Dusty gasses all the Cobras. Dusty is not a traitor. The Joes all escape.

In the end it is discovered that the armor treatment is not stable, Duke and Dusty came up with the traitor plan, only Duke and Dusty knew the plan, and Dusty’s mom is feeling much better thanks to the money the Joes swindled from Cobra.

 The Good:

An incredible story featuring Dusty, one of the greatest Joes. The plan is very well thought out.

The Bad:

Even with a well thought out plan, why were Dusty and Duke the only ones to know. A lot of anxiety from Joes, mainly Shipwreck, could have been saved if Duke trusted a few other high-level members of the team. Maybe tell Lady Jaye or Scarlett.

#8: “The Viper is Coming”

Original Air Date: October 24th, 1985

“Guess I won’t be needing that window cleaned.”

Barbeque

HOT TAKE ALERT: Yes, I can hear the screams of many G.I. Joe fans. “This episode should have been dead last”, you say. “The whole plot revolves around a terrible dad joke” the cries echo in my mind. Even the voice of Duke, Michael Bell, apologized to the fan base about this episode. I do not care, I absolute adore “The Viper is Coming”, and I can not doubt my own adoration.

The plot?

Barbecue is having a party at his new pad, a converted firehouse. A bunch of the Joes are dancing, rappelling, and playing basketball. The party is interrupted by a phone call. The mysterious caller calls himself the Viper, and he says he is coming. He also says five seventy-five.

The Joes are concerned. Scarlett deduces that five seventy-five must be coordinates and those coordinates bring the Joes to Antarctica. Once there, the team stumbles onto a Cobra Rec center with a gym, pool table room, cafeteria, swimming pool, and an entertainment lounge. A battle breaks out and the Joes take down the Cobra rec center.

The next day back at Barbecue’s pad, the Viper calls back. This time he says that he is coming Friday at the west corner. The Joes think Cobra is going to attack West Point. Once the team is at the United States Military Academy, Major Bludd does attack the graduating class of West Point. The Joes, along with the cadets, turn away Major Bludd and his team.

The next day at Barbecue’s, and another call from the Viper. This time the Viper says he is coming tomorrow, top floor first. The Joes figure something is going down at the Extensive Enterprises building, since it is the tallest building in the world it has the highest top floor. Again, the Joes get into a battle with Cobra. The Crimson twins and Destro are frustrated that this “Viper” is making things rough for Cobra.

The next day at Barbecue’s pad, and the Joes have a huge team with tons of equipment surrounding the Joe fireman’s house. A small eastern European man with an accent approaches with a mop and bucket approaches. He says he is the viper, five seventy-five an hour, he will start on the west corner, top floor first. He is here to wipe the windows clean.

Barbecue can only sit and laugh.

 The Good:

A perfectly structured episode. Genuinely exciting and mysterious. Awesome to see the background world of Cobra.

The Bad:

I don’t know if the Joes always had the best teams for these missions. Barbecue in Antarctica? That doesn’t seem right.

#7: “The Rotten Egg”

Original Air Date: October 7th, 1986

“You made one mistake bucko. I may be older, but I’m better.”

Leatherneck

Leatherneck has been invited to give the commencement address at CEC. He is going to use his leave to be the guest of honor at this military academy, and he is going to stop by his beloved Paris Island to check out the batch of new marines that are graduating.

Once Leatherneck reaches CEC, he meets the Commandant. It is Buck McCann, a former high achieving marine recruit that Leatherneck threw out of the corps. It seems that McCann had great skills, but he was a lousy Marine when it came to discipline and respect. McCann is head of CEC; the Cobra Elite Corps. McCann is going to settle an old score with Leatherneck and use the CEC recruits to attack Paris Island.

The final exam McCann creates for the CEC cadets is to hunt down Leatherneck. During the hunt, Leatherneck schools the CEC kids, and even saves them. Doesn’t matter, one of the cadets still knocks Leatherneck out.

The Joe marine has to escape so he can save Paris Island. In his hospital gown, Leatherneck starts to take out CEC cadets. The Joes at Paris Island see Leatherneck confront McCann, and Beachhead instructs everyone to let Leatherneck fight it out with his old enemy.

In the end Leatherneck beats McCann, and a member of the CEC rips the patch off his uniform symbolically turning away from Cobra.

 The Good:

A great story that tells us how people may turn to Cobra. Good soldiers with bad morals are what makes Cobra great. Awesome feature episode all about Leatherneck.

The Bad:

Why did Leatherneck, and nobody else on the Joe team, investigate what in the world is CEC?

#6: “Memories of Mara”

Original Air Date: November 15th, 1985

“And I’ve got this thing for mermaids.”

Shipwreck

This is the beginning of an epic story.

Out in the sea, the Joes are looking for the lost Navy submarine the USS Nerka. During the battle, Shipwreck spots a person in the water. The Joe sailor dives in and discovers this woman in the water has blue skin and is breathing through gills. Cobra wants this person back, but Shipwreck and Lady Jaye get her away.

We learn the gilled woman is named Mara. She was/is a member of Cobra and was part of an experiment to make amphibious soldiers. Unfortunately, the experiment made her only able to breath underwater. Mara is claiming ignorance on the Nerka, Lady Jaye does not believe her, Shipwreck does.

During a Cobra attack to get Mara back, Shipwreck takes her and escapes to an island. It is there that Shipwreck and Mara show their feelings for each other. Shipwreck also learns that Mara does know where the Nerka is located.

Mara tells the Joes the location, and then a rescue mission is greenlit. Mara, not in the water, saves the Nerka captain from torture, and Lady Jaye from a procedure that would give gills to one of our favorite Joes. The Nerka is saved, Shipwreck and Mara get away.

In the end, Mara kisses Shipwreck and swims out towards the horizon. Our favorite sailor just sits and waves while he smiles.

 The Good:

On its own, a great story. As part of larger story, this episode is must watch. A strong Shipwreck stories.

The Bad:

The first act is forgettable. The real action starts once Mara and Shipwreck are together.

#5: “The Most Dangerous Thing in the World”

Original Air Date: October 28th, 1986

"We got a saying in the Marines. The most dangerous thing in the world is a green officer in the dark with a book of matches.”

Leatherneck

Dr Mindbender has an incredible plan that would undermine the morale of the GI Joe team.

With General Hawk away, Dr Mindbender decides to infiltrate the Pentagon computer and promote three undeserving Joes to leadership roles. The three Joes chosen, Lifeline, Dial-tone, and Shipwreck. They are all promoted to Colonel, which is strange as Beachhead points out because Shipwreck cannot be a Colonel, he is not even in the army.

The three new Colonels are as bad as Dr. Mindbender thought they would be. The pacifist Lifeline takes weapons away, the dopey Dial-tone is changing things in the Joes computer systems, and the arrogant Shipwreck is throwing his rank around and upsetting his already in shock teammates.

Cobra has the Joes on the ropes, right until General Hawk parachutes out of a NATO jet and turns the tide. After the Joes turn away Cobra, barely, General Hawk says that these three joes were chosen to disrupt the team because Lifeline has the skill but not the will to lead, Dial-tone has the will but not the skill to lead, and Shipwreck has neither the will or the skill.

 The Good:

A very funny, and very informative, episode. The character work up to this point makes the whole story work. Prime commentary from Wetsuit and Leatherneck.

The Bad:

Ever since Dial-tone joined the team; he has been the subject of a bunch of abuse. I feel bad for the poor guy. He probably went to his men’s housing after this to eat some beans out of a can.

#4: “Nightmare Assault”

Original Air Date: October 29th, 1986

“What do you think of your cowardly son now, dad.”

Lowlight

The best episode of the second season of GI Joe.

Also, this episode premiered the day after “The Most Dangerous Thing in the World”. This part of season two was incredible. Onto the plot.

The Joes are having nightmares. The culprit of these nightmares? None other than Dr Mindbender and his newest invention. The Joes are losing sleep. They are becoming ineffective. Even great leaders like General Hawk are hesitating in battle.

The one Joe who knows about not sleeping, that would be Lowlight. The Joe sniper can function without sleep because he had a troubled childhood. His nightmares are about his father sending a scared boy out to kill rats.

The Joes decide to use Lowlight to lead the Joes through Dr Mindbender’s manufactured nightmares. Lowlight takes control of the dream, and defeats his childhood trauma, then is able to defeat Mindbender and his infernal machine.

In the end the Joes are saved, and Lowlight is having the first relaxing sleep he has had in a long time.

 The Good:

The imagery is trippy and fits the story perfectly. An awesome Mindbender invention, one that works, and a great personal story about Lowlight.

The Bad:

Lowlight is a creepy dude in this episode. Before this he was just an ass, but here he is damaged.

#3: “Worlds Without End”

Original Air Date: November 4th, and 5th, 1985

“Not another time. Another place. Another world.”

Flint

After a few close calls, Steeler is questioning if the battle between Joe and Cobra’s is even worth it. Nothing ever changes. The Joe tank commander is distraught.

Right now, the Joes and Cobra are fighting over the matter transmutter, a device with unknown applications. During a bottle on a bridge over a river, the matter transmutter goes off. The bridge disappears along with the Joe team of Flint, Lady Jaye, Footloose, Steeler, Clutch, Airtight, Grunt, and Barbecue. Also, the Cobra Moccasin pilot Copperhead seems to disappear with the Joes. We never hear from him the rest of the episode.

When the Joes wake up, they are not at the river, they are in a dry riverbed. Flint surmises that they fell asleep and many years have passed. As the Joes hike and look for answers, Steeler is bit by a strange pink bug. The Joe team also discovers that Cobra has taken over the world. They find the Joe HQ, and it is nearly empty, guarded by Cobra, and full of cobwebs. Once the Joes get into the base, they learn that most of the GI Joe team is either missing, or killed, in action.

Steeler is having a hard time with this.

The Joes split up to try and make sense of everything they have experienced. The different teams fix and use old Joe equipment. Flint, Barbecue, and Airtight go to Washington DC and learn that the Dreadnoks are cops. Those Dreadnoks cops are now chasing the Joes. Lady Jaye, Footloose, and Clutch are in old Sky Hawks, and they see Cobra has changed all the recognizable US monuments. Mt Rushmore, it now has Cobra Commander and Destro. The Lincoln Memorial, it is now the Cobra Commander Memorial. The White House, US Capitol Building, and the Washington Monument, they are all solid gold now. It is here that the Joes realize that time has not moved forward, but that they have travelled to another dimension. Also, the Baroness recognizes and wants to see Steeler.

To be continued.

In part two, the Flint, Barbecue, and Airtight team escape the Dreadnoks, but are eventually captured by Zartan. Lady Jaye, Footloose, and Clutch in the Sky Hawks get caught by an energy net from the golden Washington Monument.

Meanwhile, Grunt and Steeler are at the old Joe HQ, then suddenly Steeler in his sickness delirium stumbles upon skeletons of old dead Joes. The skeletons he sees are those of Grunt, Clutch, and himself. Steeler is understandably freaked out. A Cobra lady soldier finds Grunt and Steeler and asks them to come with her.

Next, we see the two Joes, Steeler is feeling better and Grunt is explaining to his friend that the Baroness of this reality was romantic with Steeler and she is secretly part of an anti-Cobra resistance. After a tough conversation with the Baroness about her Steeler being dead, the two Joes hatch a plan with the Baroness.

The other two Joe teams are part of a typical Cobra torture/entertainment scheme. Through some ingenuity the two teams escape to meet up with Steeler, Clutch, and the Baroness. The Baroness hatches a plan start a Cobra civil war between Destro and Cobra Commander. With her plan working, the Joes go back to the point of the crossed dimensions.

Before the portal closes, Clutch, Grunt, and Steeler decide they are going to stay in this alternate reality to help the Baroness fight Cobra. Steeler has learned why being a Joe, and fighting Cobra, is so important.

We never see Clutch, Grunt, or Steeler in the rest of the cartoon serious. That is truly awesome writing.

The Good:

An incredible story that shows why the Joe fight against Cobra is so important. The journey that Steeler takes is trippy, and emotional. Knowing that Clutch, Grunt, and Steeler are leaving behind everything to fight Cobra is truly touching.

The Bad:

The animation is great, and scary, for a young pre-teen boy. Steeler is not the best character to go on this journey with.

#2: “There’s No Place Like Springfield”

Original Air Date: December 12th and 13th, 1985

“Looks like a dozen of other towns I know.”

Shipwreck

The end of an era for GI Joe. This is the last story we will see until the show expands and changes with “Arise, Serpentor, Arise”, and oh boy what a way to go out.

From the very beginning you could tell this two-parter was going to be something special. Shipwreck, Polly, and Lady Jaye are trying to escort a ragged scientist off of an island. Actually, Lady Jaye is carrying the good Dr Mulaney while Shipwreck and Polly take up the rear.

The doctor was a prisoner of Cobra and he was tasked with making a chemical that can turn ordinary water into a bomb. Fearing he will not make it, Dr Mulaney implants the formula into Shipwrecks brain and whispers a code word to Lady Jaye. The code word will cause Shipwreck to reveal the formula.

On the way back to the Flagg, Shipwreck and the Joes are attacked by Cobra. Shipwreck’s Sharc is sinking fast while the Flagg looks to be in trouble.

Commercial Break.

After the commercial, Shipwreck wakes up in hospital some indeterminate time later. His hair and face are grey, and he is greeted by his wife Mara and his kid Althea. The last time Shipwreck remembered seeing Mara was back in “Memories of Mara”, when she swam away because she could only breath underwater. It seems that Shipwreck has amnesia and does not remember Doc curing Mara, Shipwreck taking out Cobra Commander, the Joes finally defeating the snakes, he and Mara get married, and they have a daughter, and they move to the non-descript town of Springfield. Shipwreck does not remember any of it.

Once Shipwreck gets home, still confused, Mara recommends he take a nap. During his nap, the Joe sailor dreams of going into a car wash and having Cobra Commander, and other members of the now gone organization, asking forcefully for Mulaney’s formula. Shipwreck is confused and quite scared.

Trying to remember his new life, Shipwreck tries to get back to what is supposed to be normal. He sees that Scarlett and Duke are together, he owns a business with Deep Six and Torpedo. He insults Flint by referencing Lady Jaye. After his insult, Shipwreck learns that Lady Jaye died the night his Sharc went down.

Shipwreck is emotionally destroyed. To make matters worse, he keeps dreaming of Cobra asking for Mulaney’s formula. He finally gets into a trap at the car wash where his old Joe friends attack the old sailor. As Shipwreck hits each one, the Joe dissolves into grey goo. Shipwreck is screaming in agony.

To Be Continued.

In part two we start to learn what is actually going on. Shipwreck asks Mara to send him back to the hospital, where Shipwreck is drugged with spiked milk. The Crimson Twins use cadet Demming to interrogate Shipwreck by using a mind probing type device. Things start getting intense in the interrogation. When Doc objects to the Crimson Twins plan, they destroy him because he is a synthoid. All the Joes in Springfield are synthoids, including Polly.

The real Polly finds Shipwreck, destroys synthoid Polly and helps Shipwreck realize that he is a prisoner of Cobra. Polly also overheard the code word for Mulaney’s formula, and uses it to activate the formula in his sailor friend’s brain. Shipwreck creates the chemical, drops it into Springfield’s water supply, and thanks to a stupid Dreadnoks who shoots at Shipwreck, all the water in Springfield’s pipes starts to explode.

The Joes, including a very alive Lady Jaye, on the USS Flagg see the explosion and know where Cobra is keeping Shipwreck. The Joes attack, a battle ensues, yet before he goes, Shipwreck needs to save his wife and kid.

Predictable, and still sad, Shipwreck sees that Mara and Althea are synthoids and part of Cobra’s ploy. The story ends with Shipwreck with tears in his eyes, and ready to get back to the Joes.

Amazing.

The Good:

The first episode is so well done setting up the world of GI Joe after Cobra, and the reveal that all is not as it seems. The second part is action packed, sad, and has great closure on an awesome season of GI Joe.

The Bad:

This is very nitpicking, but I have to say something. Why in the world did Shipwreck not notice the dye in his hair and in his beard earlier? Does the man never shower?

#1: “Cold Slither”

Original Air Date: December 2nd, 1985

“Long live Cobra. Cold Slither forever”

The crowd at the Sports Arena

If you wanted to explain the greatness of “GI Joe: A Real American Hero” what would you highlight? The teamwork, and diversity, of the Joe team. Check. The inventive genius of Destro. Check. The awesomeness of Shipwreck. Check. The need of the Baroness to highlight her relationship to Destro. Check. The business acumen of the Crimson Twins. Check. The greed and laziness of the Dreadnoks. Check. The boldness of Cobra Commander to go incognito by wearing sunglasses over his mirrored face. Check plus.

Welcome to “Cold Slither” the greatest episode of the 1980’s GI Joe cartoon series.

The first act is all about Cobra going broke. Cobra troopers are in line for unemployment, and Extensive Enterprises are trying to recoup their losses by selling Cobra equipment to any would be dictator. In order to get back on top, Cobra Commander goes to get a high interest loan from a low level criminal who has a problem using the correct words (a great bit of double voice duty from Neil Ross, the voice of Shipwreck). With the money, Cobra Commander is going to use a new subliminal message technology developed by Destro to create a song that will enslave the populace.

The band and song “Cold Slither” are born. George Landsburg, the director from “Lights, Camera, Joes” is back to make a music video with Zartan and the Dreadnoks being the visual representation of the band.

The song is a hit. Cobra is making some money, and Extensive Enterprises is ready to be back in business with Cobra Commander. The kids in school love Cold Slither. The Joes are getting complacence with no Cobra, and “Cold Slither” is entertaining a few of the troops while they waste the days away. Shipwreck, Footloose, and Breaker, are into the music, and Duke does not understand this music the kids like today. When Cobra decides to activate the subliminal messages and demand everyone go to a concert at the Sports Arena, Shipwreck, Footloose, and Breaker decide to go AWOL. Shipwreck even pulls out his toy issue percussion pistol.

Duke is not happy with the AWOL Joes. Scarlett has a plan to bring everyone back and thwart Cobra’s comeback plan.

At the concert, the Dreadnoks are playing “Cold Slither” again and again. The sold-out crowd seems ok with it. The Dreadnoks are getting tired and leave Zartan on the stage alone. In their dressing room, the Dreadnoks have three comely lady groupies. Surprise, the groupies are Scarlett, Cover Girl, and Lady Jaye. They easily dispatch of the idiotic Zartan cronies. The girls make it all the way to the control room and get the Cobra high command to retreat. Duke thinks the subliminal machine may help the Joes with discipline around the base. Scarlett disagrees and destroys the world altering machine.

Once the concert goers come to, they all realize they are at a concert and they want music. The big show ends with the Average Joe Band. Breaker on keyboards, Shipwreck on drums, Lady Jaye, Scarlett, and Cover Girl on backing vocals, and Duke, Footloose and Rock and Roll on guitars. The band plays an awesomely stylized version of the shows theme song. End on the American flag.

Yo freaking Joe.

 The Good:

A perfect episode of GI Joe. Nearly every character from the Joes and Cobra is used in one short episode and all the characters are well thought out, the story highlights the motivations of each team, and no second was wasted. This is the episode you use to introduce someone to the greatness of “GI Joe: A Real American Hero.” Add in the PSA with Deep Sick sneaking up on the kid in the pond, and I guarantee you will have a new fan of GI Joe.

The Bad:

Nothing. Absolutely Nothing. (except for one weird animation goof on Shipwreck’s beard when they are at the Sports Arena for the concert).

There you have it, the definitive rankings of all episodes of the classic cartoon series “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero”. This was tons of fun to write, and I hope brings some debate in your minds on what I ranked right, and what I ranked wrong. The most important thing I wanted to depart was knowledge about the greatest military toy commercial to ever air. And as the saying goes

Now you know.

RD

RD is the founder and Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support us and the podcast on Patreon.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.  

No Favorites, No Limits

I've never really been one for favorites. For as long as I can remember, when someone asks me what my favorite food, color, or type of music is, I draw a blank. It’s not that I don’t have preferences, I do. But I don’t feel a strong need to rank things in a way that defines me. I can appreciate the complexity of different musical genres, find beauty in every color, and enjoy a wide variety of foods. Yet, I’ve often noticed that people around me hold tightly to their favorites, as if those choices are fundamental to who they are.

Reflecting on this, I realize my lack of fixed favorites isn’t just a quirk, it aligns with my broader approach to life. Having a favorite can feel like drawing a line in the sand, defining a piece of identity in a way that might not leave room for change. And when identity is cemented in past choices, it can make it harder to fully engage with the present. If I declare a favorite band, does that mean I stop being open to new sounds? If I claim a favorite food, do I miss out on the joy of discovering something different?

I’ve seen this play out in my own life. For years, I told myself I didn’t like onions. I wasn’t even questioning the belief, it was just part of how I saw myself. But at some point, I stopped reinforcing that thought, and now I use onions in dishes all the time. My appreciation for music has evolved in a similar way. If I had stuck to only my longtime favorites, I might never have spent time with artists like Taylor Swift or Kendrick Lamar. My willingness to explore beyond my usual tastes has vastly improved my appreciation for new sounds, new perspectives, and even entire genres like hip-hop that I once overlooked.

By not clinging to favorites, I allow myself the freedom to experience things as they come without preconceptions. This openness fosters mindfulness, a way of being present without attaching labels or expectations. It also cultivates a growth mindset, where I see value in exploration rather than rigid attachment. Instead of defining myself by what I’ve liked in the past, I let my experiences shape me in real time.

And the more I embrace this mindset, the more I notice the world around me. When I stay in the present moment, I experience more of it. I hear the subtle sounds in the background that I might have ignored before, see details in a landscape that would have gone unnoticed, and feel more connected to what is actually happening right now. Without the weight of expectation or the need to define everything, I am free to fully engage with the only thing that truly exists, the now.

Kirk Aug

Kirk is a writer, beekeeper and a fellow traveller on spaceship Earth. Follow Kirk on instagram @kirkaug

Ty Predicts the 2025 Men's College Basketball Tournament

I'm about to leave for vacation, in an hour now, but I wanted to leave you all with my men's NCAA tournament preview and picks before I take off for the rest of the week. Like most seasons lately, my knowledge of men's college basketball has dwindled lately due to the transfer portal and one and done players. I did pay more attention this season because both Michigan men's and women's teams were good. That being said, Michigan's men's team is filled with transfer players. But hey, Big Ten tourney champs baby! I'll take that any day.

When I looked at the brackets after they were released, a few things stuck out to me. Duke, who knows what will happen with Cooper Flagg, has a pretty easy path to the final four. They earned it by finishing the regular season as the number 1 overall team, but damn does it look damn near like a cakewalk for them. I feel like Auburn has the toughest path for a one seed. They could potentially face an upstart Louisville team or an experienced Creighton team in round two, if Auburn wins their round one game. And they will, most likely, have to face either Iowa State or Michigan State to get to the final four. Let us not forget they could also have to face Michigan in the Sweet Sixteen if both teams make it that far. That's tough. Florida and Houston are the other 1 seeds and I could see both making the final four. I'm excited to watch a few teams, mainly Michigan. Michigan had a rough finish to the regular season. They couldn't score and their defense was lacking. They still turn the ball over way too much for my liking. But they won three tough games in three days at the Big Ten tourney. I was nervous during the title game yesterday too. They looked tired. But they pulled it out and that gives me a little faith going into the dance. Getting a 5 seed is still confusing to me, but hey, they are in the tournament that matters most. I also want to see what 8 seed UConn can do. This is the two time defending champs. Danny Hurley is still the head coach. They have good freshmen, solid transfer and a few vets. This is a dangerous team. They remind me of the Kentucky team that was an 8 that ran to the final four some years back. I'm also stoked for St John's. I'm not a Rick Pitino guy at all, but he has done one hell of a job turning that program around in two short years. I love when St John's is relevant. It takes me back to when I was a little kid and St John's was one of the best men's basketball teams in the Big East.

There are some teams that I would be a little worried about if I were a fan. Sorry to RD's wife, but Purdue is not the team it was last season. They don't have that anchor in the middle this year, and that means the shots aren't nearly as wide open. They also face a solid 13 seed in High Point in round one. I fully believe that Akron is going to beat Arizona in round one, and hell, they may make a push to the Sweet Sixteen. I have zero desire to watch either Kansas or Arkansas, and they play each other in round one. And I think Clemson is going to be one and done, playing McNeese who flies up and down the floor.

My biggest "Cinderella" is the aforementioned Akron. I'm all in on them pushing to the Sweet Sixteen and then giving Duke all they can handle before bowing out.

As for my Final Four, I'll go with Iowa State from the South Region, Duke from the East, Texas Tech from the West and Houston from the Midwest. That's two number 1 seeds, and two number 3 seeds. That's pretty chalk heavy, but hey, that is how I wrote it out on my handwritten brackets. As for the title game, give me Texas Tech facing Houston. And I have Houston winning it all this season. They've been highly ranked all year, but no one is seemingly talking about them. I think that will benefit the team and coaching staff and they will play free and loose all tourney long.

There you have it, my men's tournament preview and prediction. I will see you all in a week. Have fun watching the first weekend of games. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

Ty Watches "The Righteous Gemstones" Final Season Premiere

The fourth, and final season premiere of "The Righteous Gemstones" was this past Sunday. My wife and I got caught up on it this past Wednesday. Let’s discuss.

I love this show. I have been a fan since day one. In fact, I'm a big fan of Danny McBride. And when he and David Gordon Green work together on a tv show, that is a sweet spot for me as a viewer. With this final season of "Gemstones", I'm curious to see how they wrap it all up. The last season finale felt like a series finale, but I guess HBO wanted more and McBride and co decided they could do one final season.

I figured we would get put right back into where we left off for this final season, but the creators and writers had other ideas. The fourth season premiere took us all the way back to the 1800's. We opened on a church service in Virginia. I figured the preacher giving the sermon was going to be a Gemstone and this would show us the beginning of the family cheating people out of money. While that was the case, the preacher was not a Gemstone. In fact, after the congregation was let out there was one person left in the church hiding out in a pue. That person happened to be Eli Gemstone, and this character was portrayed by Bradley Cooper. We are then taken through Cooper's path from thief to killer to chaplin during the Civil War to huckster to, finally, his coming to believing in a higher power.

Cooper was absolutely fantastic. He was funny. He was rude. He was ruthless. He was brutal. And I couldn't take my eyes off him when he was on screen. He really embodied everything the Gemstones would eventually become. He stayed around in the church to rob the priest. When the priest fought back, he shot him. Then some soldiers showed up to let him know that the preacher was going to be their chaplain moving forward. Cooper then proceeded to steal the preacher's identity and make him look even worse than he did before leaving the church. As chaplain, Cooper was aloof and skating by. He didn't care about these people who were on their deathbed. He wanted to get drunk and play cards. Even when one soldier figures him out, he goes in on a deal with that guy to steal from a higher up in the war, and then he killed him. When he was actually pressed into battle, the cowardice showed. While people were shooting and being shot around him, he ran and eventually hid. When he was about to be executed with the other soldiers, he got a pass because he was a "man of God". Even still, realizing his life would be spared, he was reluctant to give the soon to be dead a sendoff. He finally did, he gave a great speech and then you could see the shift in his attitude. He looked like he cared. His words carried and he finally realized what a bad person he was and it was time to change. Cooper did all of this, did it well, in forty minutes. That's a powerhouse performance. It also got me very hyped for the final season. I love that we got a backstory that showed how scummy the Gemstones have been their entire existence. And I assume it will only grow from here.

Bradley Cooper should get awards consideration for this episode because he was so dynamic. It was wonderful. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

R.I.P. Oliver Miller

I was looking at NBA news yesterday and happened to come across some upsetting news. I read that Oliver Miller had passed away at 54 years old. I guess he had cancer.

I was shocked. I had no idea that he was even sick. Many people may not know who Oliver Miller was. Hell, I'd go so far as to say that casual basketball fans may not even know Miller was when he was alive. I became a fan of his almost instantly. The first time I saw him play was in college at Arkansas. When I was younger the only other college basketball team I liked other than Michigan was Arkansas, and that was because of Nolan Richardson. Richardson was one of my all time favorite coaches. I loved his "40 minutes of hell" defense he ran. He would press the hell out of their opponents and it caused issues for them. And what made Richardson stand out even more for me, he recruited guys that many would say didn't look like your typical high level college basketball player. The first one I vividly remember was Corliss Williamson. But Oliver Miller was on a whole other level for me. Miller was a bigger guy. He was, what some would say, chubby. He was tall, clocking in around 6'9. He also tipped the scales at, or sometimes above, 280 pounds. That is almost unheard of with high level basketball players. Look at Zion Williamson right now, and he is listed at 260. Miller was 20 pounds heavier. So, to see him do the things he did under Richardson was eye opening for me. I am a chubby person and was chubby as a kid too. I loved that someone that was built like me, only taller, was so skilled and so good at basketball. Like I said, the first time I saw him play I was instantly hooked. He was on an Arkansas team that won their conference three years in a row and made the final four once. He was also the 1991 SWC player of the year and the conference tournament MVP. The Razorbacks moved to the SEC in 91 and won the regular season title that same year due to Miller's play and Richardson's coaching. And he still holds University of Arkansas records in highest shot percentage and blocked shots. He was drafted in the first round by the Suns, 22nd overall. He never found the same success in the NBA that he did in college, but he managed to carve out an eight year career playing for seven different teams. I remember him most on the Raptors, but that was due to their dope jerseys back in the late 90's. He bounced around Europe and found some minimal success in the CBA. He was an all star there, made second team CBA in 2003 and is the career blocked shots leader. He did have some late in life issues, including pistol whipping a man during an altercation. After that he managed to turn his life around a bit and kept out of the public eye. I don't know what kind of cancer he had, but it must have been bad enough to take him so young.

This one bums me out on a few levels. Miller was a niche player that I found a quick fandom for because of his body type. He managed to turn that into a great college career and an okay enough pro career. Rest In Peace Oliver Miller. I hope you're blocking shots wherever you may be now. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

An Ode to Unscripted Comedy on Podcasts

I listen to a bunch of podcasts. You all know that by now. They are good for running, for cleaning the house, for going on long drives, they make the time go faster. I really like them and I listen to a ton of them. I mostly listen to comedy podcasts. There's the occasional sports podcast or real life stories, but comedy rules the day for me. I have been listening exclusively to comedy podcasts as of late too. I like to laugh and when I get over 90 minutes from an episode, that's the best. While I was out running today, listening to "Hey Randy", it dawned on me why I love this genre most.

During the recent episode of "Hey Randy", the whole crew kept going on long tangents that made me laugh and laugh and laugh. I then thought back to when I was listening to an episode of "Doughboys" last week. Mike Mitchell, Nick Wiger and the guests kept going off on random subjects, each improv funnier than the next. And I could say the same about most comedy podcasts. "CBB" is all about improvising, which leads to a bunch of funny stories. "Whomp It Up" is all about tangents. "Scott Hasn't Seen" has a bit more of a rundown, but that doesn't mean Scott Aukerman and Shaun Diston don't find the time to make some silly jokes here and there. And "How Did This Get Made" wouldn't exist without going off on many, many tangents throughout each episode. I adore this. I know some people may not enjoy it, or want it to end sooner. I don't. I would honestly listen to a bunch of comedy podcast episodes that were filled with tangents. To me, when the hosts and guests do this, it shows me how truly great they are at comedy. The ability to go off, to continue the thread, to make new threads, that amazes me. The sheer fact that these people are so quick on their feet is truly astonishing. I am truly taken aback by this.

For example, on a recent episode of "Doughboys", Jess McKenna stopped by, literally. She was doing another show, Mitch and Wiger saw her, called her in and she proceeded to crush. They needed a schtick for their upcoming tournament and McKenna has provided some gems in the past. In this episode, she came up with what might be her best idea, and it was all done on a whim. She didn't expect this, neither did Mitch and Wiger, but she came on and destroyed. That impresses me. Every week on "CBB" the second and third guests are doing straight up improv the whole time. From what I've heard, the people asked to come on the show only show up with a character name, after that, no one knows what's going to happen. "How Did This Get Made" is a movie podcast for all intents and purposes, but they go off constantly on that show and that is what drew me to the show in the first place.

This all dawned on me with the most recent "Hey Randy" episode. Tim Baltz, Lily Sullivan, Mary Sohn, Dan Lippert and Brett Morris are true professionals. I had to stop a couple times to catch my breath during my run from laughing. They nailed it all episode. And it sounded like all they needed was a word or phrase and that would set them off. It was one of the funnier podcasts I've heard in a minute. The ability and know how to act on a dime like that is shocking and so cool. I wish I could do it, but my brain doesn't work that way. At least I have all these comedy podcasts to enjoy, and for that I am one happy dude. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

"Severance" is a Really Good Show

I got caught up on the most recent episode of "Severance" yesterday. We got some answers, some more things came to light and it was a showcase for Patricia Arquette's character Harmony Cobel. It was one of the shorter episodes of the series to date, clocking in at right around 40 minutes.

I thought the episode was fine. It wasn't their best, but it moved the story along. But, I guess there are others who disagree with my feelings. People online have been really going at this episode. People seem to really dislike it. I don't get this take, other than people just want something to complain about. Not everyone can just be happy that a big portion of us are watching some of the best tv that has ever existed to this point.

"Severance" is remarkable. The show is damn good. It's compelling. I crave each new episode every Friday. This is what I miss from watching tv when I was a kid. I wasn't bombarded with a million different viewpoints on why something I really enjoy is so bad. Harmony Cobel is a very important character on the show. She has been important since season one. She clearly has something big brewing in this season of the show. She went on this long car trip at the start of the season and I was curious to see where she was going and what would come of it. That is what this recent episode gave us. We saw where she went. We saw her old home. We saw some people she used to be connected with. And we got some big time answers about the creation of Lumon and the idea of how severance came to be in this universe.

I guess this isn't what the keyboard warriors wanted from this episode of "Severance". I have read some people's reviews, some reputable people, and they are going hard. These writers have called it boring. I read others who said it was pointless. And others talked about it being the "low point". None of that makes sense to me. "Severance" is not a show about one person. All of the characters play a role in the long run. Sure, the episodes centered around Mark and Helena and Dyaln in the severed office are my favorite. And I always pay closer attention when Seth Milchick shows up. But Cobel plays an important role. She seems to be one of the creators and visionaries for Lumon. We were going to see a solo episode based on her sooner rather than later. And I was pleased with what we saw. Everyone in this universe will, most likely, get an episode like this in the future of this show, and I hope that the internet dorks will just leave it alone. All of this is going to culminate in what I imagine will be a glorious series finale, whenever that day comes. But, people on the internet will never be happy. They will find something to gripe about. "Severance" could make what is widely regarded as one of the greatest finales of all time, but there will be a few lonely people that go on the internet and gripe about it.

We live in a weird time where no one is ever pleased with what they see, no matter what. All I can say, I am forever grateful to all the people that work on this show have given us and will give us in the future. Keep up the good work and I cannot wait to watch the final 2 episodes of this season over the next two weeks. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Mickey 17"

Last Friday my dad and I went to see "Mickey 17". I was going to write about it right after seeing it, a quick reaction, but I decided I wanted to sit on it and give the movie more thought. I wanted the weekend to sit with it. I'm glad I did.

Right off the bat, I really liked the movie. I'm a Bong Joon Ho fan. I love "Snowpiercer" and "Parasite". The love for those movies put me in a pretty good head space heading into "Mickey 17". What I enjoyed the most about "Mickey 17" was the humor. This is a funny movie. There's jokes and some of the things Robert Pattinson does as his version of each Mickey made me laugh out loud. Speaking of Pattinson, he is truly wonderful in the movie. He gets to do a ton and he nails it. With each new Mickey there are subtle changes and Pattinson brings all of them to life. The two main Mickey's, 17 and 18, are who we spend most of the time with and Pattinson plays both. Each Mickey is totally different and that is fully due to his performance. I thought he was amazing and he has become a better actor with each movie. He has upped his game, picks cool projects and I want to see what he is going to do next.

The other cast members are solid too. Naomi Ackie plays Nasha, Mickey's partner. She is badass and super cool. She knows this whole society they live in is nuts and she lets everyone know. She gives a great performance. Steven Yeun is Mickey's buddy, and he is an asshole. He is only out for himself. He will do anything to get ahead no matter who he has to screw over. Yeun is so reliable and so good as an actor and I am a fan. Mark Ruffalo is over the top in the best possible way. He is putting on a show as the villain and I grew to despise his character pretty quickly. I have to believe that was the point. He was so annoying and so stupid and Nasha lets him know it. Toni Collete plays his wife and she is equally despicable. She makes "sauces" and is always in her husband's ear. She is always telling him what to do in a way that will only benefit the two of them. And then we have the "creepers". These are the alien creatures that live on the planet they are travelling to in the movie, Nilfheim. They have a pretty great turn in the movie and it makes it all come together in the end.

Along with the acting, the story is great. This is clearly an allegory for how messed up the US is under this current "administration". Ho made his own version of it and set it in the near future. He kind of nailed it when it comes to what a trip on a spaceship away from a rotting Earth would feel like. It looked truly miserable. But Ho made it funny, made it work and made it a blast to watch. And I love the stuff he did with the "creepers".

This is a very good movie that I want more and more people to see. It is a fast two hour and seventeen minutes. And Pattinson is so good in his role. I highly recommend it. And go to a theater if you have the chance. The movie deserves to be seen on a big screen. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

KD is Not Happy, Again

It seems like Kevin Durant is once again upset with his current team. Let’s discuss.

I adore KD. He is one of my favorite basketball players of all time. I love his form on his shot. He developed during his career as a defender. He can be vicious when he wants to attack the rim. He is a good rebounder. And he may be the most accommodating superstar player of all time. Every time he changes teams, he fits like a glove. I just wanted to get that all out there before proceeding.

The anger KD showed the other day towards Mike Budenholzer, during a game the Suns won by the way, makes it seem like wants out of there. Keep in mind, Phoenix was the only team he was willing to be traded to when he forced his way out of Brooklyn. Also, Brooklyn was his preferred destination when he left the Warriors after winning two titles. Oh yeah, he joined the 72-10 Warriors after his Thunder led team couldn't close out a series against them. And, as you all know, KD started his career in OKC. Durant did a ton in Seattle/OKC. He won an MVP. He led them to the Finals. He and Russell Westbrook and James Harden made the Thunder a viable championship caliber team. He was fantastic in his time with OKC. I liked him so much that it was easy to to shift my fandom to the Thunder after the NBA took them from Seattle.

The playoff series in 2016 changed everything. When KD decided to sign with an unbeatable team I decided it was time for me to switch to the Grizzlies. I just couldn't root for a player that went to the Death Star. That Warriors team was unbeatable and it kind of made the three seasons he was there pointless. We all knew who was going to win. I know KD got two rings and two Finals MVP's. I understand that they would have had a third had he and Klay Thompson not gotten hurt. But it felt hollow to me as an NBA fan. The decision to sign there didn't make a ton of sense to me, I guess he wanted the rings, but it was a head scratcher. I guess he heard all the noise from people saying that it wasn't his team, which it is not, the Warriors will always be Steph Curry's team, because he left and went to Brooklyn. The Nets signed Kyrie Irving, and KD wanted to play with him, so he signed there. He didn't play all year one, but after getting Kyrie and KD, the Nets eventually got James Harden. And when the three of them were on the floor together they were really, really good. They could have made a run to a title, but Giannis and the Bucks had other ideas. Then Kyrie decided he wanted out and wouldn't get vaccinated. Then James Harden wanted out. I guess KD was fed up, so he told the Nets they had to get rid of the coach and GM. He was burning every bridge left and right. He would say all these things on the record. It became enough that the Nets relented and said they would trade him. While KD only wanted Phoenix, the Nets were open to every team. But KD was so enthralled with Phoenix that he forced both teams' hands. The Nets traded KD for Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges and a bunch of picks. Neither team did much after that in that one season, but the Suns were favorites going into the next year. But KD, Chris Paul and Devin Booker couldn't really make it happen. They would get bullied early in the playoffs by one team and be out. And then, prior to last season, CP3 left and Booker and KD pushed for the Suns to get Brad Beal. The Suns did, essentially mortgaging their future, and acquired Beal for a ton of picks and some random players. This hasn't worked out either. One of KD or Beal is always hurt. The defense is horrendous. The Suns pay their top three guys so much money that they can only get players on the low end of the market to fill out the roster. They fired their coach last year and brought in a proven head coach in Budenholzer. Well, that isn't working now either. The Suns sit at 11th place in the West. They're five games below .500. Bradley Beal is hurt again. And during the trade deadline there were rumors that KD was available. I guess that didn't sit well with him, so now it appears he wants out of Phoenix.

As much as I love the guy, the one common denominator in all of this is him. He wanted out of OKC for rings so he joined the Warriors. He felt underappreciated in Golden State so he opted to go to Brooklyn. The Nets didn't live up to the hype so he forced his way to Phoenix. And now he is unhappy once again. At this point I don't know who would be willing to give up the massive amount it will take to get him. He is also in his mid 30's, which is older than you want your star player to be at this point. I fear that KD, who will go down as one of the all time greats, isn't going to get the love he thinks he deserves because he constantly blames others when a problem occurs. It's never his fault and his one option is to up and leave. I don't know. Again, I am a big fan of his game, it is just all the whining and complaining when he is met with resistance or isn't shown appreciation how he wants. I'm still rooting for him, but this constant need to be praised and be traded is getting a little boring. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

Ty Watches "Yellowjackets"

Over the past couple weeks I decided to start watching the show "Yellowjackets". It came about because I was looking for something to watch while waiting for each new episode of "Severance". I had heard good things about "Yellowjackets", and I finally decided to give it a go.

Where we sit right now, I have finished the first season and am just about done with episode one of season two. This show is really, really good. I find myself thinking about episodes long after I've already watched them. I think about what I would do in a situation like that. I enjoy the acting and the writing. I like the back and forth from present day to 1996, when they ended up in the wilderness. But what I like most about the show is the similarities between it and "Lord of the Flies".

"Lord of the Flies" is my all time favorite book. It is one of the few books that I try to read and reread regularly. And what "Yellowjackets" does so well is make that story more updated for today's audiences. This show is gory. It's brutal at times. The teenagers act like teenagers put in the most harrowing dilemma one can imagine. The one adult who is with them at the moment, only has one leg and he is not really in charge anymore. All of this gives me big time "Lord of the Flies" vibes. I know that they made some made for tv movie based on the book, but it didn't hold the same weight that this show does. I am a very visual person when it comes to things like this. I really like to read books and imagine things, but when I'm given a representation that I can look at and put a face to the name, that is key for me. I guess my imagination isn't as vast as I hoped it would be. And to have this show take place between a time when I was a highschooler and now, that is a chef's kiss.

Along with the story and the acting, the music is rad. I like the clothes that they wear on the show. It's nice to take myself back to that time when hypercolor and umbro shorts were widely recognized as the coolest clothes on the planet. But, in the end, when it comes to this show, it is so well made. I like the "Lost" vibe. I love to hike and trail run, so seeing the wilderness where they get stranded, I want to go to where they film and go for a run or hike. But the best thing, in my opinion, about the show is making such a bad situation and turning it into really good, binge level type tv. I am at a point where I cannot get enough. Like I said, I find myself reliving certain moments when going to sleep or out for a drive. I want to see how this all unfolds too. And, a good portion of these actors in the show are doing really good things in tv and movies right now. It's cool to see these people thrive.

I highly recommend watching "Yellowjackets" if you are putting it off and trying to find a reason to watch. It's a damn good show. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

R.I.P. David Johansen

I don't know how it passed me up on my social media timeline stuff, but I just saw that David Johansen passed away a few days ago. Let’s discuss.

Some people may not know who Johansen was, but I sure do. The people that do remember him probably know him from his band The New York Dolls. I never listened to his band. I think they were punk or maybe glam rock or something like that based on what they wore on stage. I will probably go check out some of the music now that Johansen is gone though. Other people may know him as an actor. Johansen was in a ton of stuff during his acting career. I saw him in a documentary about his solo music career very recently. I only saw the very end, but it was fascinating from what I saw. I will say though, he did look pretty sickly in the doc, and the movie finished filming right before COVID. But he was in plenty of things. He had a three episode arc on "Oz". He filmed a lot of stuff as his alter ego, Buster Poindexter. He appeared in a good amount of corny 90's comedies. And he played the bartender in "A Very Murray Christmas" on Netflix. But what I know him from best is as the Ghost of Christmas Past in my favorite holiday movie "Scrooged".

Johansen was so memorable in his small role to me. I have his face burned into my memory. He was the cab driver that was always smoking a big fat cigar. But he also made the most of his lines in the movie. The way he spoke was so memorable for me too. He was gruff and grimy. He had a brash New York accent. He had a raspy voice that always stuck with me. Of all the ghosts that Murray was visited by in the movie, Johnasen's was my favorite part. He made the gloomy parts gloomier in a good way. He showed Murray's character how bad his life was in the past, and that was essential to the plot of this movie. He took the limited screen time he had and ran with it. From that point on, anytime I saw David Johnasen in anything else I pigeonholed him as his character from "Scrooged". That's on me doing that, but I don't necessarily think that is such a bad thing. Johnasen left such an indelible impression on me with that one role that it has stuck with me even to this day. I adore his performance in that movie and will always adore that performance.

It was kind of nice to see a bunch of people, when I caught up on social media, paying tribute to Johnasen. He clearly left a mark on a ton of people in both the musical and acting world. He also seemed to have a ton of friends all over the world. A musician I really like, Black Joe Lewis, even paid a very nice tribute to him on his Instagram page. David Johansen seemed like a guy who lived his life to the fullest. It seemed like he tried to do as much as he could while he was on Earth. I appreciate that.

Rest in Peace David Johansen/Buster Poindexter/The Ghost of Christmas Past. I hope you're having fun wherever you may be right now. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Thoughts on the Oscars

I don't watch the Oscars. I have never really watched the broadcast. It may have been on in the house when I was a kid because I know my mom likes that stuff. But, for me, I have always just checked who won the next day. And I used to have a ton of takes. I would gripe to anyone who would listen. I did this for a while too. I'm sure I was pretty annoying to whoever would listen to me. I felt that I knew better about movies than others, I'd voice that opinion, and other people would move on. I wouldn't. I'd keep it going. Then, when I started dating my wife in my mid 20's, she really didn't care too much about the Oscars. And because I liked her, I kind of stopped talking about it all together. I'd still check to see the list of winners, but I would just move on. Sometimes movies I liked won, most of the time, movies I hadn't even seen at that moment won. That's the way this stuff is.

Last night was pretty weird and made me truly realize how insufferable I had to be back in the day. "Anora" took home pretty much all of the big awards. I'm currently 40 minutes into that movie, with an eye on finishing it today. I think it is a pretty good movie with an incredible performance from Mikey Madison. I feel like she is a deserving best actress winner. But, on the internet you would have thought a catastrophe occurred when Madison was announced the winner. Apparently a lot of people thought Demi Moore should have won for "The Substance". I love "The Substance". I personally think it was the best movie of 2024 by a wide margin, and Moore was exceptional in the movie. But, people on Instagram and other social media sites were screaming and yelling and viscerally angry that Moore was beat out by Madison. People went so far as to compare this to the plot of "The Substance". I don't buy into any of that at all.

The Oscars are subjective. Both actresses put on wonderful performances and were both deserving of the award. But only one person can bring the trophy home. They don't give out half trophies. I saw a lot of people were upset that Adrien Brody won his second Oscar. I have not seen "The Brutalist" yet, I plan on seeing it, but people seem angry. I guess he tossed his gum at his girlfriend and his acceptance speech went on forever which also upset people. I'm not a fan of Brody's. I have never been a fan. And the speech and tossing of gum is not a surprise to me, which is part of the problem. But, by all accounts, he did a good job in a movie that is solely focused on his character. And all the lead up talk I read was about him being the front runner. While I don't like him, it seemed like he was going to win it all along.

I don't plan on watching "Emilia Perez", I've heard it is quite bad, but no one seemed as angry about Zoe Saldana, a fantastic actress, winning for that movie as they did, and do about Madison and Brody winning. Everyone I have heard talk about "Emilia Perez" says it is very bad, and we now have all this controversy surrounding the titular character in the movie. Kieran Culkin was incredible in "A Real Pain", but I have even seen some gripe about his win.

Not one of these actors and actresses got full acceptance from anyone. Some people simply want to complain no matter what the outcome may be. People feel this weird need to go online and instantly give their reaction and thoughts about a subjective thing that doesn't even matter in the long run.

I guess what I want to say today to the reader, and anyone who had to suffer through my nonsense back then, I'm sorry and it's not that important. In the long run it doesn't really matter who wins an Oscar because we can all go back and watch the movies we all like and relive the performances we all enjoy. We don't have to degrade anyone else or any performance that we may not have been that high on at the time. All these award shows are meant to force debate, but if we just took a step back and let it go, maybe things would be easier to deal with in the long run. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.